LUK WAI CHUN
陸 尉 俊
Solo
Rock Pipa — FIGHT!《搖滾琵琶 — FIGHT！》(2020)－
Pipa 琵琶獨奏
Commissioned by Hong Kong Composer Guild
for Decoding Creativity: Interactive Platform for Contemporary Music Appreciation Workshop 1
Composer: Luk Wai Chun
Performer: Leung Ka Lok
Event: 梁家洛演藝音樂碩士畢業音樂會
The "ubiquitous" nature of novel coronavirus(COVID-19) reminds the composer of a famous pipa martialcomposition -"Ambush on All Sides". However, spears and horses used in ancient war, also, modern ships and guns are not used in this “virus pandemic war”, but requires the vigilance, tough mind of everyone and protective gears. Therefore, the music shifts from the introduction of the pipa piece “Ambush on All Sides” into the Rock and Roll style appearing in pop music to uplift and lead everyone to fight the virus.
On the other hand, the composer combines different pop music languages and techniques, such as “pop” technique from Bass guitar, ghost note technique and percussion effects from Steel guitar, melodic phrases from blues music, and rhythmic elements from funk and samba music in an attempt to extend the playing capabilities of pipa and give freshness on solo pipa work.
Still Ink《沉。墨》(2016)－ Zhongruan 中阮獨奏
Commissioned by Art Museum, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
for the exihibition of Erudition in Ink: The Calligraphy of Sheung Chung-ho
Composer & Video: Luk Wai Chun
Performer: Pang Wing Man
Zhongruan is a Chinese plucked string instrument. Its timbre is warm and round, so it often serves as a mediator in the ensemble. Making use of such timbral character of the instrument, I aim to depict the stillness and calmness of the writing calligrapher. In this piece, I imagined the zhongruan is a brush and music is the ink. Various scripts in Chinese calligraphy are shown in music, such as clerical, regular, semi-cursive and cursive script. Different timbres and techniques such as harmonics and glissando are also used to express different intensities, movements, and lines when writing calligraphy.
For the compositional techniques, the Chinese traditional musical form “Qi cheng zhuan he” and the melodic elements of guqin are used. In addition, the piece includes some extended techniques, such as writing on the surface of zhongruan to imitate the scene of writing calligraphy and playing below the bridge, in order to capture different forms of expression in the art of Chinese calligraphy.
Jazz Pipa《爵士琵琶》(2015)－ Pipa 琵琶獨奏
Composer: Luk Wai Chun
Performer: Zhang Ying 張瑩
Pipa is a Chinese traditional plucked string instrument. The musical style of pipa solo can be generally categorized as wen (文, civil - lyrical, slow and expressive) or wu (武, martial –rhythmic, fast). Pipa solo pieces usually express serious topics such as love, scene of nature, battle, etc
.
In an attempt to extend the playing capabilities of pipa, improvisational passages, swing rhythms, and chord progressions are combined with the traditional pipa music idioms in this piece.